The music of
Ian Eskelin fused the spiritual energy of CCM with the electronic rhythms of techno-pop. A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, he earned his first success while still a teen, fronting a popular East Coast band called Business & Industry which opened for acts including
C&C Music Factory,
Information Society and
Book of Love. After the group disbanded,
Eskelin went off to attend Wheaton College in suburban Chicago, where his interest in the synth-pop of bands like
Depeche Mode and
Erasure prompted him to form the like-minded
Code of Ethics; at the same time he worked on
Zero's 1993 Ravenous album, and in his off-hours pursued his master's degree in communications. After touring with
Code of Ethics,
Eskelin issued his solo debut, Brand New Language, in 1993; in 1997, he resurfaced to produce the group
All-Star United. ~ Jason Ankeny